Weather

The weather in Panama is crazy. During training it was ungodly hot. Now in site its usually comfortable during the day, but I sleep in sweats and a hoodie in my sleeping bag. Oh and the rain. I have never experienced 8 days and nights of solid rain. Pouring rain. So depressing. The mix of heat, cold, and humidity has also ruined my two most valuable possesions in Panama, my camera and ipod. I got a new camera, but I guess its Panamanian reggetone and tipico from now on.

I have started baking. The people LOVE it! I have made a bunch of different kinds of sweets and they think I am nuts, but love to eat them. And this is without a stove people. I have a list of people who want to learn how to make them. Now that I have their attention, maybe I can teach them about cooking vegetables.

I feel like I am contantly stuggling with the need to be a member of the community, and Peace Corps volunteer. Because I honestly feel like you cannot be both. I start to feel normal and in the groove, and bam hey Amy you need to leave for two weeks for training. Hey you need to leave for this meeting or that meeting. And that really is part of my job, to work with agencies and make stuff happen. But at the same time the community members dont really get it either. They just know you are not in the community and not visiting their house.

I have realized that most of my blog posts are totally random but hey when you are rushed for an hour to do all your stuff in a super slow internet cafe. So you get what you get folks.

Community Analysis

For my first three (actually four) months as a volunteer, my job was to observe and listen and learn about the community. Pasear, attend meetings and community events. And it all comes down to the big meeting. And nothing seemed to be going my way. My boss changed the date after I had sent out all the invitations. Then the day before my meeting, a woman in my community passed away. (RIP) My boss showed up late and I felt as though I might throw up. Oh and of course it was raining! But everything went smoothly. Having my boss there really helping and he said he enjoyed my different approach to the meeting. Excellente! Some of the community´s ideas for projects include: eco justa stoves, lombri compost, a chicken project, and home gardens. So we will see what I can make happen!

In other news:

I also visited fellow volunteer Daisy in La Loma Montuosa for spanish class. Another beautiful site and a great visit. It is nice sometimes to get out of the community and see new places. And I was told by my teacher I have a campo accent. She didnt exactly say it as a compliment, but I took it as one.

The community has officially formed a cooperative which is an excellent step in the right direction.

Independence Day from Columbia was November 3rd and there was an activity in the school. Games for the kids and of course arroz con pollo and chicha.

A recent problem, not so much in my community, but communities nearby. Alcohol. There have been at least two fights and the police were called once. Two people in the hospital. Yes there are problems when you drink fermented corn out of fertilizer containers and then have machetes. Who would of thought? But on the good side. People are pissed. They want to stop people selling Seco out of their homes and stop making chicha fuerte for the peons. Hopefully we shall have some community action!

I have aquired some new plants for my garden and will be planting my vegetable garden in the beginning of December.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! :)

Even Cats Eat Rice

La vida campo is usually mas bien, but sometimes it is soooooo frustrating! Things move at such a different pace, much slower than I would like them to. And there is little motivation to advance and move forward and change their  lives.

So in short, I have my work cut out for me. Partly this is my fault. I had to much time to think about PC. I let my idealism get out if control. I forgot how real life is.

But on the upside, my birthday festivities went excellent! I had my host brother bring some meat, we killed a chicken, I made a cake and cookies, and we sat at a table with a tablecloth. I felt super special :-)
I have also discovered suavitel. An incredibly strongly scented fabric softener that keeps your clothes smelling fresh even when they don't dry for a week.

Oliver is still crazy. When I went away last time, he went back to stay with my second host family, except they were not there. He stayed alone with his girlfriend and without food for five days.  Livin on love. He was also fighting and at some point during this time lost part of his tounge.

Finally, I am in my house! Wohoo a space of my own! It's super nice and I am loving buying new things and organizing and making it mine.

Panama. The country, not the van halen song.

•Clothing is ridiculous here. Can I please buy some clothes that aren't skin tight and don't have rhinestones? Please?!

• I don't think panamanians use the bathroom. I seriously never see them use the bathroom. And this observation has been backed by other volunteers.

• They think my flashlights are amazing.

• I showed up to a meeting in my PC polo, a skirt, and black rubber boots. Yes as a matter of fact I am that cool.

• So you have read about how much I love rice. But I have recently come to the realization that at least rice is not weird.

• Oliver chases after cars after I can in...it's so sad to watch him running an barking. He also gets mad when I ride a horse.

•My current best friends are a 40 year old woman, a 15 year old boy, and my dog. And I'm ok with that.

• My birthday celebrations have been excellent so far. I was sung to on skype by 4 high school Spanish classes and my family. I ate good food in Chitre. And there is more to come this weekend!

• I finally got all my mail from during training! And am caught up on mail and packages in Chitre. Thanks so much for sending and I try to reply as best I can.

Here are some things I have been up to....

Here are some things I have been up to....

• I got what most Peace Corps volunteers fear. A gusano. What started as a bug bite, turned into home for a half inch worm with an ugly head. We removed it my suffocating it with tobacco and then squeezing it out. I guess its better to get the scary things out of the way first thing.

•On another creepy crawly note, I have seen 4 snakes, two of which were close encounters. One passed right infront of the horse I was riding. The other was right infront of me when I was walking and I only saw at the last minute. Dont worry, no bites.

• I have been bathing in a stream.

•Eating sugar cane is delicious.

•Everyone think that I should get married and stay in Panama.

•Discotecas are super fun but slightly creepy.

• People are never ever on time and often what they say they are going to do am what they actually do are two different things.

• I feel super cool when I walk around in my black rubber boots.

• Everyone is incredibly generous!

•People don't understand why I am not afraid to ride a horse or walk alone or live alone or play soccer with the boys.

• My dog is starting to listen better.

• I can hear howler monkeys at night.

• The whole world stops when it rains.

• Panamanians eat a lot.

• I hate opening my email and receiving a billion emails.

• They have this weird thing where hot and cold things cannot mix. Like you cannot have a cold drink with hot food. And you cant shower of you are hot. I have broken this rule with much difficulty.

•I have yet to completely figure out my cell phone. Partly due to my frustration that comes from the signal constantly cutting out.

• I have become addicted to coffee. If I don't have it in the morning I have an awesome headache midday. And I crave it sometimes too.

•Pretty much everything in some way can "hace dano" aka cause damage. This is also an excellent excuse for not eating things you don't like.

• It makes me feel really good when people say I speak a lot of Spanish. I think they are more surprised I can speak Spanish at all, but it's a confidence booster.

Sent from my iPod

Lot of leavin left to do

I have been thinking a lot about life. And really it there is a lot of leaving...graduations, moving, traveling, different friends. Each time we change something in our lives, it can be really sad. But I just realized that it a good thing to be sad about leaving. Because that means it was amazing and it enriched your life. If you were not sad about the change, to me that means it did not make a significant impact on your life. It is amazing how quickly people and places can make an impact on you. But what is truly important is recognizing that those experiences are now a part of you and helped you grow. And what is ahead is far greater than the past.

La Vida Campo

I think I figured out what stage of the `volunteer lifecycle` I am in...shock and awe. I am not unhappy. Just a lot of change happening at once. New community, new people, new language, new culture. But despite all this, the people are super warm and welcoming and I am pretty sure if I did no projects and just pasear-ed for two years they would still like me.

Here are a few notes on what I have been doing:
-I dropped my toothpaste down the latrine on the second day.
-I got an minor infection from a bug bite in my leg.
-I learned to make bollos.
-I walk. A lot.
-I pasear. A lot.
-I hang out at the school  while the moms cook and then the kids during recess.
-People always give me stuff. If I visit someones house I always come back with plantains, bannanas, or eggs. And people always buy me candies at the tienda.
-Kids are adorable.
-People are amazed that I am not afraid to ride a horse or walk alone or a variety of other things.
-It really rains here, and surprisingly gets cold.
-Chickens are hilarious. Everyone is always shooing them away and then the dogs chase them. Its the new tv.

My favorite thing I have done so far is play soccer with the boys. I dont really like soccer that much. But they invited me one day, more of  a lets see how she will react. And I played. I have enough atheltic abilty to play good enough and am not afraid to play with the boys. Its also a good way to get to know an awkard age group, boys mostly from 12-18 and then a few adults. I am the talk of the town. Woah she likes to play soccer, with the boys? I never really considered myself a feminist. But girls can certainly do the same things as boys, and hopefully a small thing like playing soccer with the boys every weekend can change a few minds.